Improvement in oil-cans



NllMiTnn STATES PATENT @erica JAS.` M. THOMPSON, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN OIL-OANS.

Spccilcntion forming part of Letters Patent No. lj, dated October 28, 1856.

fb all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. THOMPSON, of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain Improvement in 0il-Cans; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof.

The principal differences between the construction and operation of this can and the oil-dripper upon which Letters Patent were granted to me August 7, i855, are as follows: In that can or dripper the chamber is situated at the top, and while the can is being inverted for Vuse the contents of the lower tube are emptied into it; but in this one the chamber is situated at the bottom and oil runs into it while the can is beingplaced in'an upright po.- sition after being inverted. The tubes in this can are placed parallel with each other and with the sides of the body of the can; those in the other case are placed diagonal tothe sides of the body, and one above the other. The advantages of this arrangement over the onen here referred to I conceive to be, iirst, it operates as perfect when iilled to the top as n'when only partly full, whereas that one does not, (care having always to be taken not to ll that can only even with the bottom of the chamber;) second, both tubes in this can are accessible and can be readily cleaned out after becoming foul by passing a wirethrough them 5 but the lower tube in the can in reference cannot be thus cleaned without taking ot't' either the top or bottom.

To enable others skilled inthe art to make and use my improvements, Iwill nowproceed to describe their construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the outside of the can. Fig. 2is a vertical section through the center, showing the inside arrangement.

A, Fig. 2,represents the main apartment,.to contain the greater part of oil. B, under the the apartment A, is a chamber having its npper side made conical, to the top of which a tube, C, is joined, and extending from thence through the apartment A anda short distance into the lower part of the spout E, but not iitting it so close as to prevent the free pas- V sage of oil between the two.

apartment A is filled at the cup e, where the l spout unscrews for that purpose, after which,

the can being inverted for use, air passes into the chamber through tube D, and from thence into tube C,to fill the space left bythe escape ofoil through the spout. If the can is held fin an inverted position long enough, tube (l will ll to alevel with that contained in apartment A; but as the entire capacity of tube C is not sufficient to fill the chamber B even with the lower end oi tube D,no oilwill escape from the chamber through tube D when the can is again inverted att-er being set upright, but it will be emptied back into tube G,which operation is greatly facilitated by the upper side of the chamber being conical. Any oil that may run from the tip down the outside otthe spout is arrested by the cup e, and from thence it will run through tube D into the chamber. By my arrangement the tube Dis free of oil when the can is in aninverted state,

theoil in the chamber B iowing directlyinto the discharge-spout E. The oil that enters the dripcup e d oes not iiow into the reservoir A before being discharged into the spout E, and as the tube 'C ofthe chamber B has no opening into the reservoir A it cannot be choked with oil, as it is liable to be when the can is inverted, and such tube is arranged as is represented in the drawing of my said patent. When so disposed, the oil stands in it to the level in which it is in the surrounding oilreservoir, and ot' course when the can is inverted all the oil that is in the tube,willhave a tendency to flow back into the air-chamber at the upper part of the reservoir. This, meeting the air ilowing up the tube, will operate to prevent its ascent, and thus the can will be im properly vented. My improved arrangement obviates this difficulty. Besides this, myimprovement overcomes another difficulty. which is incident to the action ot' my patented can, in which the oil which is in the discharge-tube, (especially when such tube is `a long one,) by falling back into the reservoir, will so act on the air and oil therein as to cause Oil to be ejected from the catching recess or cup, so as to run down on the outside of the can.

I do not claim arranging a chamber at or 2- rasee under the bottom of a can, and having a tube to extend therefrom through the oil-can and into its spout, the said chamber having an air-tube passing transversely into it, or, instead thereof, being connected'with the oilreservoir and the tube by valve-openings provided with valves, as these contrivances or oil-cans. have had no drip or catching cup or recess to catch the oil which may flow down -outside, of the dischargingspont, Whereas my improved oil-can is provided with such cup, and it makes an element or part of its combination. Nor do I eiaini (herein) that combination and arrangement of a catching cup or recess, a chamber, and two tubes with the oilreservoir and discharging-spout of an oil-can, as the Whole is explained and represented in Letters Patent granted to nie, as aforesaid; but

Vhat I do claim is My above-described improved arrangement of oil-catching cup'or recess e, tube D, chamber B, tube C, reservoir A, and dischargetube E, the same being productive of advantages, as stated.

JAMES M. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

STEPHEN HOLMAN, DANIEL HEYWooD. 

